Nine days out from the federal election, Mark Latham emerged from another 30 minute stint of ‘talk back’ claptrap. ‘Well that really set the news agenda for the day’, despaired one Sydney Morning Herald journalist, snapping off her dictaphone in disgust. Labor’s campaign launch was a mere day away, and the Australian voting public had just been treated to another hard-hitting interview: yes, Mark Latham had been present for the birth of his two children; no, he hadn’t brought any massage oil.
Voting at election time is one of our few responsibilities as Australian citizens. However, making that vote an informed choice has become an increasingly difficult burden.
I’ve always been fascinated by the cut and thrust of election campaigning, and the making of an Australian prime minister. Subsequently, I volunteered to follow the Latham campaign as a youth ‘Election Tracker’, and write for an independent website, www.electiontracker.net. My mission, along with three other young volunteers, was to provide an alternative analysis of the campaign than that presented by the rest of the travelling press gallery, while attempting to demystify the ultimate democratic event.
Once every three years, Australians are compelled to choose from a field of political candidates, the one individual best able to present their case and represent the nation’s interests. Part of making this choice includes an opportunity to reflect upon the merits of each candidate before voicing a democratic preference; for once these preferences have been tallied, the electorate is expected to remain largely silent while a new mandate is hastily implemented.
Election campaigns are intended to provide this opportunity for reflection. Now that another election has passed, it is important to ask just how much we learned about the policies on offer. Did the ‘news’ you read, saw or heard provide the analysis required for you to make an informed choice?
One trend that emerged from this election is that the Australian contest has become increasingly presidential. Through the mainstream media’s narrow lens, Australia watched a slogan-filled slugfest between two big spending contenders. As each scripted barb was met by a choreographed riposte, journalists ‘embedded’ in the campaign eagerly redistributed the ‘live action’ recorded from the ringside. And while the cameras and digital recorders were trained on the prime ministerial stoush, those voices calling for attention on behalf of other national issues went unheard.
On the election trail, each ‘embedded’ journalist travels within a whirlwind of spin. From unknown destination